Is giving your boss a birthday gift can be consider a bribe??
By ardoy0731
@ardoy0731 (7308)
Philippines
March 4, 2012 4:23am CST
My boss' birthday is coming this Tuesday, her 68th birthday.Quite old to be boss but she is still strong and healthy to perform her duties and responsibilities as our boss.She also serves as grandma to us sometimes.
As days go by, she always saying that she will treat us on her birthday.She keeps on retaliating of the foods that she will going to bring at the office during her birthday, like buttered shrimp, fried chicken, salad, veggies and some other stuffs that she adds as days go by.She always tell us that snack will also free cause she will treat us spaghetti with black forest and pistachio cake.I can wait to that day come, I will really enjoy that day in eating those foods.
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We are planning and thinking to give her gift, which one will we give to her that she will really appreciate.But we are wondering and bother about it cause some of our our co workers,narrow minded office mates, will eventually look at it differently and may think that we are up into something or bribing her for us to be look good to her.Indeed, we will never mind them on what will they think as long as we know that we don't have any intentions about it.Its their problem not mine and just enjoy the blow out.
Have you friends think that giving your boss a gift can be consider as a bribe? do you have any experience on how people think about it differently and maliciously?
As days go by, she always saying that she will treat us on her birthday.She keeps on retaliating of the foods that she will going to bring at the office during her birthday, like buttered shrimp, fried chicken, salad, veggies and some other stuffs that she adds as days go by.She always tell us that snack will also free cause she will treat us spaghetti with black forest and pistachio cake.I can wait to that day come, I will really enjoy that day in eating those foods..
We are planning and thinking to give her gift, which one will we give to her that she will really appreciate.But we are wondering and bother about it cause some of our our co workers,narrow minded office mates, will eventually look at it differently and may think that we are up into something or bribing her for us to be look good to her.Indeed, we will never mind them on what will they think as long as we know that we don't have any intentions about it.Its their problem not mine and just enjoy the blow out.
Have you friends think that giving your boss a gift can be consider as a bribe? do you have any experience on how people think about it differently and maliciously?3 people like this
14 responses
@jhuddith (222)
• Philippines
4 Mar 12
Actually, giving a birthday gift is not a bribe. The only problem is that other people see it the other way around. During the birthdays of our bosses (especially the immediate bosses), what we normally do, to erase the malice, is prepare a gift as a group. The team decides on what to give then research how much will be spent on that gift. After coming up with the amount, we divided it equally. On her birthday, the whole team go to her office, sing a birthday song and give to her the cake and the gift that we decided on. It's really great having it that way because we get to involve everybody in surprising her!
@ardoy0731 (7308)
• Philippines
18 Mar 12
We chip in for our department but he don't like the idea of giving gift so we don't include him if he don't like.It is up to him if he will put malice on it as long as we don't intend anything we don't care.
@dandan07 (1906)
• China
4 Mar 12
Giving your boss a birthday gift is a way to show your love(may be just care) to your boss. That is a good way to deal with the relationship between you and your boss.
I think that behavior can make your boss happy, and may lead her give you some help in work. In some degree, you can benefit from giving her gift. But in many case, i do not think your boss will give you what you do not deserve just for that gift. So it can not be considered as bribe.
But I think you should also give other co-worker gifts at their birthday to show that you treat them equally, or other people many think you give gift to your boss is for something.
@ardoy0731 (7308)
• Philippines
16 Mar 12
It is just our way of thanking her for all the kindness that she has given to us.
@beamer88 (4259)
• Philippines
4 Mar 12
I think the gist here is your intentions of why you're giving your boss a gift. There are really people who give gifts to their bosses to score brownie points. Others, like your group, want to give a gift just to show appreciation to the things your boss have done. If a person is sincere in his gift-giving with no ulterior motives whatsoever, then it's not a "bribe." Although you're right that narrow-minded people would view it as a gesture to impress the boss. But don't be bothered by what these people think. If you're also worried that a rift with them might happen, why not ask them to also contribute for the gift. Sometimes a simple thing like including them could open up their minds.
1 person likes this
@mikeley (318)
•
4 Mar 12
I dont think giving a boss a birthday present is a bribe because at the end of the day a boss is still an important person in your life but some peoples narrow mindedness will see it as sucking up or trying to get ahead in a career.
If I was a boss of a company and one of my colleges gave me a present i would be happy :) but I would not see it as a bribe I would see it as a gesture of goodwill :)
1 person likes this
@ardoy0731 (7308)
• Philippines
4 Mar 12
Yeah it is a good gesture but there still some people who give malice on it and see it differently.Well it is their opinion but what important is that we have pure intentions about it.
@Masihi (4413)
• Canada
4 Mar 12
Sounds like in your situation you'd do fine to give her a gift, even if it's just a small gift. I always knit, so something like knitted dishcloths, everyone loves and can you. And if y'all are planning a big gift combined as a workplace group, then I think it's really appropriate. I don't work but I think in your situation it'll be fine, she won't consider it a bribe or anything. Just a token of friendly comradeship.
@almond24 (1248)
• Hungary
4 Mar 12
I don't think it's bribe at all, we did it too. Especially if you give your gift together as a group, it won't look like you all want something in return, just that you care about her.
You wrote that she is like a grandma sometimes. Since your relationship is already good with her, I don't think it seems like you want to impress her.
1 person likes this
@lingli_78 (12822)
• Australia
5 Mar 12
i won't consider it as a bribe... as long as i know that i have a pure motivation when i give the present to my boss, i won't worry too much about what other people will think about it... take care and have a nice day...
@jd107nette (1454)
• Philippines
16 Mar 12
oh ofcourse not! gift giving probably would just mean respect and thoughtfulness!
@JohnRok1 (2051)
•
5 Mar 12
As the others have said, if it's from a group of you, it can't possibly be a bribe. If you inform the other groups in advance, so they have opportunity to give a present as well, or chip in with you, it should remove all problems, especially if the gift is of a personal non-commercial kind. Sounds like you have a really nice boss to whom a brirthday gift would be appropriate.
@aghiuta (525)
• Canada
15 Mar 12
Since you like your boss,and she seems to be such a nice person,you should indeed give her a present from the people that want to contribute.But ask everybody,this way nobody can say that is a bribe,and if somebody does not want to contribute,that is their problem....We used to do that in our office for each person when their birthday came around!
@microengineer (587)
• Indonesia
6 Mar 12
I think it is better to collect money from every one and buy a single gift for her. If it is collective from all of employee, there will be no think that it is a bribery. There is no exact rule regarding gift. But in some Europe country, you can give gift with limited amount (or price). If it is below that value, it is not a bribe.
In my work place, the culture is different. If the boss celebrate birthday, he will buy a lot of snack and give it to everyone. So no thought of bribery at all. We, at most, just say thank you for the snack and say happy birthday to him.
@pandora22 (868)
• Romania
15 Mar 12
the best solution is to give a gift from the part of all the employees.this is the perfect way to do this.this way none of your colleagues will understand this wrong and is the nice way to do it,by getting everyone or at least some of your work mates involved.in the same time consider that you cannot meke everyone happy all the time and maybe there will be people that will make bothering afirmations.as long as you know your real intentions you don't have to care about them.anyway try to involve more work mates.
@dazzledlady (1618)
• Philippines
4 Mar 12
It's a birthday gift so i do not think its a bribe. It will become a bribe if you ask something in return after that :P hehe. Gifts are token of appreciation ,let the malicious mind think all they want. As long as your conscience is clear, just enjoy the party.
